The present invention relates to an accessory for a forward-facing child""s car seat. In particular, it relates to a soft footrest for the child""s feet, combined with storage pockets for toys, books, drinks, etc., which hang over the side of the car seat.
When a child sits in a forward-facing car seat, his/her feet generally have no place to rest and thus hang down over the edge of the seat. This can be extremely uncomfortable for the child, and can actually cause back, hip and leg problems as the weight of the child""s legs, and the position the child assumes to alleviate the discomfort, pulls the spine, joints, ligaments and muscles out of alignment.
In addition, it is often frustrating for a childxe2x80x94and the driverxe2x80x94when toys, books, drinks, etc., are not readily available. The child may cry for something and the driver will hunt for the item, then turn and hand it to the child while the car is in motion. Not only is this frustrating, it can be dangerous since the driver""s focus is on finding and getting the item to the child, and is thus not fully on the road.
When a child""s forward-facing car seat is installed in a car, it is extremely important that it is fastened against the seat as tightly as possible. Car seat manufacturers and safety precautions stress that the seat should not be able to move more than one inch in any direction in order to maintain safety of the child in the seat. Thus, it is very difficult to place an item under the seat and still fasten it in properly.
What is needed to solve the above problems is a product that provides support for the child""s feet and easily accessible storage for desired items. In order to allow for safe usage, this should be accomplished without interfering with the safe functioning of the car seat.
The present invention provides a child""s car seat accessory with a footrest and/or storage pockets. The accessory can be used in a forward-facing child""s car seat and does not interfere with the proper fastening of the child""s car seat to the automobiles seat. The combined footrest and pocket version is made of cloth in a T shape. The middle of the top of the T fits in the seat of the child""s car seat, with an opening to allow the fastening mechanism to pass through. To the right and left sides are the storage pockets, which hang over each side of the car seat. The pockets can be elasticized on the outside to allow for greater storage and to hold items in the pockets. The bottom of the T has a triangular-shaped piece of foam, covered with the same cloth forming a footrest for the child""s feet. Above the footrest, on both edges, are snaps to allow the height of the footrest to be adjusted to the child""s leg length, and to be extended as the child grows.
A second version of the accessory is formed of a generally rectangular piece of cloth with a seat portion in the middle and the two opposite ends having pockets extending over each side of the car seat.
A third version of the accessory is formed of a generally rectangular piece of cloth with a seat portion at one end and the footrest at the opposite end. The middle portion has height adjustment connectors allow the user to adjust the height of the footrest.
The accessory is placed in the child""s car seat before the child sits in the seat, with the buckle to fasten the straps passing through the opening in the seat portion. The child then sits on top of the invention, and the child""s weight holds it in place. Since the weight of the child is directly proportional to the amount of force placed on the foam footrest portion, the child""s weight will always be sufficient to hold the seat portion in place. In addition, since it is placed on the car seat after the seat has already been fastened into the car, the accessory does not interfere with proper fastening and installation.
The accessory may be made of any sort of flexible material. It may be stain-proofed or water-proofed, if desired. Although other materials may be used, the material is preferably hypoallergenic and flame-retardant to meet government standards. The snaps may be replaced with hook-and-loop material, hooks, or any other sort of fastening mechanism that will hold the pressure placed on the foam footrest by the child""s legs.
Any other method of attaching the foam triangular footrest piece to the cloth piece, such as pockets in the cloth piece into which the foam piece fits, fasteners to attach the foam piece to the cloth piece, such as hook-and-loop material, snaps, hooks, etc., or other methods of attaching a soft triangular or rectangular piece to the cloth piece, are also acceptable variations of the invention.
The item may be used in a child""s car seat or on the actual seat of the automobile for a child who has outgrown the car seat but whose legs do not yet reach the floor of the automobile. In the last situation, the storage pockets lay flat on the seat next to the child.